Trials and Tribulations
by Web Writer Witch
Summary: *Chapter 3 now up!* Ongoing series where the sisters go through different adventures in another world while trying to get home.
1. Chapter 1

Author Notes:  Just the first part of hopefully an extensive series.  And I hope you follow it all the way through!  I promise, it will be worth it.  My special thanks to Neffie for giving me the motivation to continue writing.  Also, thanks to Mandy who will be editing my flaws, even though she's not online right now so she didn't edit this part…  I hope it's still readable though.

Disclaimer:  Let's see…  I only own the unknown demon in this chapter.  Everything else goes to its proper place so don't sue me.

Chapter 1

The warm spring sun beat down fondly on Golden Gate Park.  Small green buds were beginning to appear on the once bare trees, and a slight breeze, just enough to circulate the air, tousled Piper's loosely strung pony tail as she jogged along her usual track.  She breathed in the sweet smelling dew that was still glistening on the park grass.

Her silent serenity was broken as the small cell phone attached to her hip started to ring.  She snapped out of her daydream and came to a halt.  She was surprised to see herself panting heavily as she grabbed her aching side.  Apparently she was in worse shape than she thought.  The phone rang for the third time before Piper answered it.  

 "Hello?" she said, gasping for air. 

"Piper?  It's Phoebe.  You need to come home right now.  We have a little problem on our hands."

"Phoebe, we always have a problem."  She sighed heavily.  "What is it now?"  But before Piper could get an answer, the phone went dead.  "Phoebe?  Hello?  Crap…" she said, cutting off the power.  She reattached the phone to her hip and took off running to her car on the other side of the park.

It took her a few seconds before she realized she had a faster mode of transportation.  Turning around once again, she ran to the edge of a thick patch of nearby trees.  "Leo!" she yelled into the air.  "Leo!"  A few seconds later, she saw the familiar blue orbs floating down in front of her.  "What is it?" he asked.

"Wait, you don't know?  Phoebe just called me from the manor.  It sounded like an emergency."

"Ok, hang on to me," Leo said, grabbing his wife's hand.  He closed his eyes and concentrated on orbing out, but just as the first lights appeared, Leo felt an electrifying shock surge through his body.  Piper opened her eyes as she felt Leo's hand fly out of her own.  She instantly regretted that reflex as she saw the energy ball overtake Leo and send him slamming backside into a tree.

"Leo!" she yelled, running to his unconscious body, but it was too late.  The demon that had thrown the energy ball shimmered in front of Piper.  "No, no, no!" She stopped and threw out her hands, attempting to blow the demon up.  But, nothing happened.

The demon rolled his icy blue eyes and shook off the poor vanquishing attempt.  Piper jumped back slightly as his eyes flashed to a solid blood red color.  "No, no, no yourself," he said in his deep demonic voice.  Using his demonically fast reflexes, he reached out and grabbed Piper's wrist, shimmering out of the park before she could stop him.

"Paige, have you seen Piper?" Phoebe asked, walking down the flight of stairs to the main hall.  Piper had been missing all morning and it wasn't like to not leave a note.  Apparently she had left early because the coffee that was in the pot was ice cold.

Paige shook her head from the entrance to the manor.  "Not since last night.  But, she does have a job at the club, which is more than I can say if I show up late one more time.  Call me if you need me."  Paige grabbed her leather purse and coat from the rack by the door and hurried outside.

Phoebe sighed.  "And then there was one."  She headed towards the kitchen to make herself a new pot of coffee and read the morning paper.  She hummed quietly to herself as she emptied the old pot into the sink and filled it up again to make fresh.  Then, she grabbed the paper from the counter and started for the table.  She sat in her usual seat and unfolded the _San Francisco Times_ to read the front page, but she felt her powers kick in.

She cringed slightly as she saw the natural world fade from her vision and a new one enter.  She saw Piper jogging along a small, secluded trail, but the vision suddenly cut to a demon dressed in complete black grabbing her sister's wrist and shimmering out of sight.  But, there was no more; reality came back to her as soon as it was gone.

"Oh no," she muttered.  Her older sister was in trouble and didn't even know it.  She glanced down at the front-page headlines that gave her the premonition.  She felt her breath leave her as she read, _Serial Killer Escapes Police_.  "Oh, this can't be good.  I have to call Piper," she said to herself, jumping out of her seat and running to the phone.  Her fingers dialed Piper's cell phone.  

"Hello?" she heard on the other end.

"Piper?  It's Phoebe.  You need to come home right now.  We have a little problem on our hands."

Phoebe heard her sister saw something else, but before she could elaborate on their situation, the line went dead.  "Damn," she said, hanging the phone back up.  But as she turned around, a man dressed all in black was standing leaned against the counter with the end of the telephone cord in his hand, unplugged from the wall.  Phoebe jumped back in surprise.

"You are a stupid witch, aren't you?" he said, throwing the cord down.

Phoebe finally gained her wits and ran towards the demon, levitating into the air and tried furiously to kick him straight in the face.  But, he was too quick for her.  An energy ball hit her square in the chest, knocking her to the ground.

"Now to get the eldest sister," the demon said, grabbing Phoebe's hand off the ground.  She tried in vain to stop him, but soon realized she couldn't move.  She thought she might be paralyzed, but that idea only lasted a few seconds.  Darkness started creeping into her eyes like tunnel vision and she blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Author Notes:  Here's Chapter two!  I told you I would write more.  Ok, another shout-out to Neffie and Mandy for all their help!  

Disclaimer:  I only own Enchantment and all of its lands, kings, and townspeople.  Please don't sue me!  I have no money!

Chapter 2

 Paige slowly gained consciousness and opened her eyes.  She groaned as the bright sunshine made her throbbing head feel even worse.  She raised her head and noticed she was lying flat on her back in the middle of a grassy field.  

"Morning sleepy head," Paige heard a voice behind her say.  She sat up quickly and spun around to see her two sisters towering above her.

"Uh, don't do that to me," Paige said, slowly getting to her feet, using Phoebe as a brace.  "Wait a minute."  She looked around at her surroundings while dusting off her backside.  "Where are we?"

"Um…  well…  We're not quite sure," Piper said, looking around.  "But the bad thing is, we don't even remember how we got here," she said, looking back at Paige.

Paige raised an eyebrow, trying to recall all she could.  "I remember getting out of my car and heading to the office, but I don't think I ever got there."  She nervously ran her fingers through her hair.  "My boss is going to kill me."

Phoebe gently touched Paige's arm to comfort her.  "Now, let's just calm down and think."  She started to pace slowly around her sisters.  "We know that someone or something brought us here, wherever here is, and we don't know how or why."

"And that leaves us stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way out," Piper said, folding her arms across her chest.  She was getting disgusted with the situation and the way it was heading.  "Leo!" she yelled, walking out towards the center of the open field.  "LEO!  Where are you?"  She sighed heavily when she got no answer.  "Now what do we do?" she asked, walking back to her sisters.

"I say we start moving.  We're not accomplishing anything standing here.  Maybe we'll hit a town or a city where we can get a map," Phoebe said.

Paige nodded in agreement.  "Hopefully we're still in San Francisco."

"Wait a minute," Piper said, cutting Paige off.  She started looking frantically around.  "How do we know which way to go?  I don't even see a trail to follow."

Phoebe sighed, annoyed at Piper's pessimistic attitude.  "We'll just have to make one then."  She grabbed both her sisters' hands and started to drag them towards the right side of the field to a patch of woods.  "Come on."

The demon dressed entirely in black slowly approached the throne, partly from respect, partly from fear.  The soft glowing torches hanging on the walls gave only enough light for shadows to dance wildly on the cold cave walls, constructing a gloomy, dank atmosphere he was all too accustomed to.

"Your heinous, your work is done."  The demon sank down to one knee and bowed to his ruler.  He lifted his head slowly when he received no answer and realized the throne was empty. 

"You fool."  The demon stood defensively and searched for the new voice.  A shutter was sent up his spine as his eyes caught the emergence of a tall, cloaked figure from the shadows in the corner of the cave.  The demon had to squint in order to recognize the figure's black outline against the darkness.

"The king is not here.  But, I'll be sure to give him your message," the cloaked figure said.  His voice echoed throughout the cave, sending another chill up the demon's spine.

The demon stood frozen to his spot, too stunned to speak at first.  He finally got his nerve back as he thought of his own gain.  "Wait just a second.  How do I know you're going to give me the credit?"

The cloaked figure raised his arm, pointing a thin finger at the demon before him.  "You don't," he simply said, yet full of arrogance.  But before the demon could retaliate, he was engulfed in large flames and left to burn alive.

The mysterious killer dropped his hand, but stayed to watch the suffering demon.  But, in a puff of smoke, the demon disappeared—vanquished.  The figure didn't say a word, but turned slowly and went back into the shadows.

"Phoebe, slow down," Piper said, clutching her side.  "We've been walking for hours and I don't know about you, but I haven't seen a slightest sign of civilization."  She plopped down on a large tree stump nearby, exhausted by the travel.

Phoebe frowned at Piper's frustration, but ultimately leaned against a tree for rest.  "Alright, we'll take a little break, but we need to get moving again soon.  It's starting to get hot out here."  She looked up and stared at the sky through the open spaces in the leaves ahead.  The sun was directly over them, and the temperature would continue to rise as the afternoon came upon them.

"Ow, ow, ow," Paige said, hobbling towards another tree stump.  She sat an immediately took off her black heels and started rubbing her sore feet.  "Why couldn't today be casual Friday?"  She slowly slid her shoes back on and stood to stretch.  Rubbing her parched throat she said, "This wouldn't be so bad if we just had a little water." 

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a tall man in his late twenties, wearing a blue vest and a pair of navy slacks materialized together from tiny droplets of water in front of Paige.  "You rang?"

Paige screamed and stumbled backwards, falling over her tree stump.  Phoebe quickly pushed herself off the tree and assumed fighting position.

"Hold it!" Piper yelled, jumping up from her stump.  "Before we go kicking anybody's ass, maybe we should see if he can help us," she said, glaring at Phoebe.  She spun around to face the stranger and plastered a sincere smile on her face.  "Hi.  Do you mind telling us who the hell you are before I blow you up?"

"I am known as Rosmin, but you may call me Ross.  And I came because I sensed you were in danger."  He walked towards Paige, took her hand, and helped her to her feet. 

"Thanks…" she muttered, dusting herself off, slightly ashamed that such a powerful witch could be scared of an innocent man after all she's been through.  "But wait a minute…  _What_ are you?"

"Assistant to the great King Dorphin of Aqualand, at your service."  He bowed, grateful for the opportunity to flaunt his position to newcomers.  

"Aqualand?  Sounds like a theme park to me," Phoebe said, relaxing once again.  "And since when do we have royalty running around San Francisco?  Maybe a celebrity now and then…" She stopped when she noticed the confusion on Ross's face.

"Where is this San Francisco?" he asked, stumbling over the words as if he were saying them for the first time.

"Oh no…" Piper said as she started to pace nervously.  "Tell me we're still in San Francisco.  _Please_ let us still be in San Francisco!"  She stopped and looked Ross dead in the eyes.

"I know not of the world of which you speak.  But, I do know that we are standing the in the midst of the Forest of Infinity."

Phoebe rubbed her forehead in frustration.  They obviously weren't anywhere near California, or even their natural world for that matter.  "Ok, just tell us how to get out of here so we can go home."

But Ross just shook his head.  "Anyone who comes to the Forest of Infinity comes here for a reason, a quest if you will.  And I am not one to divulge the secret to exit.  But, I will tell you this," he paused to look at each sister separately.  "To leave the forest and fulfill the test, you must listen to your soul and disregard your sight."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  Piper looked at Ross for the answer, but he had already disappeared the same way he appeared.  All was quiet again in the forest as the sisters tried to decipher Ross's code.

But, everything wasn't quiet.  Far in the distance, Phoebe could hear a single bird chirping and nothing else.  "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

They all fell silent and waited for a few seconds.  Finally discouraged, Piper said, "I don't hear anything."

"Shhh!"  Phoebe said, quieting her sister.  She could hear the small bird even louder now.  "Try closing your eyes and don't try to hear.  Just listen."

Paige and Piper both closed their eyes and concentrated.  "Wait, I hear it.  It sounds like a bird chirping," Paige said.

"Exactly," Phoebe said.  "It was right in front of us the whole time.  I can't believe we didn't even realize how quiet it was before."

"So, all we have to do is follow the bird and we can leave?"  Piper questioned.  She wasn't quiet believing all of this.  It seemed too strange, even for her life.

"Apparently," Phoebe said.  She started turning circles, looking for even a glimpse of the small bird.  She stopped when she saw no sign and said, "But we're not going to be able to see it, so keep your ears open and… feel it."  She hesitated on the last words, trying to articulate just right.

"Feel it?"  Piper yelled, getting fed up.  "What the hell is it supposed to feel like?!?" 

Phoebe sighed and grabbed her sisters' wrists once again.  Someone had to lead the way, and she took the initiative to guide them to safety.  She had led them in, and she was going to get them out.

"Come on," she said, walking between them, pulling her sisters along.  She stopped for a moment, closed her eyes, and listened intently for the way to freedom.  She picked up on the sound instantly and continued in the direction she was going.  Piper and Paige were drug along slowly behind. 


	3. Chapter 3

Author Notes:  The third chapter in my series!  YAY!  Ok, this is rather short, but I promise to have chapter 4 up soon.  I already have it outlined and partly written.  Constructive criticism welcome!

Disclaimer:  I own all of these characters, actually.  Enchantment and all its lands belong to me too.  So, you CAN'T sue me!  HA HA HA!  

Chapter 3

            "Are the witches here?"  The king was dressed in long black robes that seemed to flow like liquid onto the floor.  His head was topped with a large gold crown engraved with dark jewels.  The throne itself was massive with intricate carvings sketched into the wood base.  The red fabric lining the in-back cushion and seat had various gold lines interweaved in the sewing.  The king's voice was deep and echoing as he was very confident with the power he held. 

            "Yes, your majesty," the cloaked figure almost whispered.  His head was lowered in a half bow, making his hood look parallel with the ground, though his body was fully erect.  "I have begun your plan."

The king sat completely still in thought for a few seconds, then slowly nodded his head.  "Very good.  Then I expect the rest of the plan to go just as flawless."

The figure hesitated to speak, but finally found the courage to say, "And what is the rest of the plan, King Thoren?"

Thoren snapped his head up with almost a playful grin on his face.  "You will know when the time is right.  But, since you are my most loyal servant, I suppose I could tell you my main goals."

The figure bowed fully this time, pleased that he could be trusted with such a secret.  He rose back up, but his head was still slightly lowered.  He waited eagerly for Thoren to begin speaking again.

"As you know," Thoren started.  "The ruler of the five lands, Azbeth, has died recently.  He has been ruler for a very long time—longer than any of the kings have been alive.  But now that he is dead, the kings will need a replacement ruler.  That ruler is usually of nobility, but they must prove themselves worthy of taking the position."  He stopped in the middle of his story and rose from his throne.   He took his long wooden scepter from beside his chair and started pacing in front of his servant. 

"It is because of this that there has become a power struggle in the lands.  There are talks of war from King Lavatic of Fire Rock and every kingdom is preparing their forces for attacks.  Alliances are being formed and we would never stand a chance.  However," he suddenly stopped and stared directly at the figure, "if we were to prove ourselves by taking out the most powerful beings on Earth, I would gain respect by all and become heir to the ruler."

"Genius your heinous," the cloaked figure said without ever lifting his head.

"Yes," Thoren said, admiring his own plan.  "Now, go fetch the witches.  I want to get this over with fast so I can show their carcasses to the other kings."

"The servant slowly lifted his head, but still careful not to reveal any face.  "Sir, I do not know where the witches are."

Thoren's eyes widened as his pulse started to race.  "What do you mean you don't know where the witches are?!?"  His voice boomed louder than ever now, shaking the rafters of the cave, sending a few bats flying downward, but finally resting once again.

"Sir, I was only told to bring them to Enchantment.  I could not control where they landed."  He paused briefly while his mind raced to come up with an excuse.  He silently cursed the invalid demon he had hired to do the dirty work.  "Besides," he said, finally.  "The witches are in a new place with no knowledge of what is in store for them."

The king thought for a moment, still fuming over his servant's stupidity.  This could not ruin his entire plan.  He had to come up with someway to get them back in his possession.  He finally came up with the only suitable plan for the time being.  "Go into the lands and hunt them down.  Do whatever you have to do to bring them here alive.  Use the dark powers given to us to keep a constant search, but you must hurry.  Who knows when the other kings might try to attack us."

The servant bowed, solemnly thankful he still had his life.  He turned quickly and walked towards the left wall of the cave.  The king sat back in his throne and watched the figure walk through the cave wall out of the sight.  Thoren sighed and rubbed his forehead.  His plan was not out to a good start.


End file.
